


Numb

by mistonthewater



Category: Penumbra (Video Games)
Genre: Asphyxiation, Bloodplay, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Knives, Needles, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reader-Insert, Rope Bondage, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 00:02:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7552369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistonthewater/pseuds/mistonthewater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've worked as a scientist for the Archaic for years now, but are now the lone survivor underneath the chilly Greenland Landscape since the Tuurngait had been uncovered. After being found in the underground science labs by a man named Philip, however, freedom is in your reach. You'd helped him out and you had grown quite close to one another; the two of you even planning to escape together...Well, at least that had BEEN the plan until you'd unfortunately been separated. Philip had sworn he'd find you though and that the two of you would get out of this Hell together, but with how far down you've fallen, you're no longer sure. You're not even sure how long you've actually been apart at this point. Now that you're back in the lion's den playing a long overdue game of hide and seek with Clarence, however, it's up to you to see to your own survival...or demise.<br/>*RATED EXPLICIT FOR NON-CON NSFW IN CHAPTER TWO.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hide and Seek

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I drew a lot of inspiration for this fill from the fan made extensions for Penumbra: Necrologue and Twilight of the Archaic. Both extensions are VERY good, and I suggest that anyone who enjoyed the Penumbra series give them a shot. Clarence does have a physical manifestation for this, but I left out a description so you can picture him however you would like. I do plan on continuing this if there's enough interest, so leave a kudos or a comment if you'd like to see what happens next! Enjoy!

**_“Monkey...”_ **

  
    The call sent shivers down your spine. Clarence’s voice echoed throughout the tunnels in such a way that reminded you of just how truly cornered and alone you really were.You’d managed to escape from his makeshift cell relatively quickly, but the process of navigating the close-quarters labyrinth was another matter entirely. You still needed to find the pliers and batteries that you KNEW were down here, but being stalked by Clarence in the darkness was more than a small hindrance.

    Pressing your back to the wall and clutching a pair of scissors that you considered a weapon close, you chanced a glance around the corner to see if the coast was clear. With no immediate danger in sight, you made a break down the hallway for the tool room, hoping to find what you needed inside. You were immediately relieved at the sight of pliers within the chest and stuffed them in your bag with a small breath of relief. A quiet curse escaped your lips upon not spying batteries, however, and you needed to think fast.The sound of Clarence whistling dixie from down the hall did nothing for your nerves, however, though it did grant you an idea. Back in the room he’d been holding you had been his own bag...perhaps it would yield more promising results. After taking a brief look outside, you booked it once more, keeping your goal in mind. If you didn’t constantly remind yourself of what you were doing, panic would surely kick in, and all would be lost.

    Upon re-entering the room you’d been kept before, you were able to spot Clarence’s bag right away. You bitterly snagged the batteries from his flashlight before turning to leave, but as you looked towards the door once again, your blood ran cold.

    Clarence now leaned against the doorframe, knife in hand and a smirk on his face. He whistled lightly and turned the blade over a few times before catching your gaze, “Well, well, well. If it isn’t our daring heroine, caught at last? I’ve gotta say, that was a pretty sneaky escape on your part, and you just about gave me the slip! Too bad you couldn’t leave without goin’ on a bit of a scavenger hunt, eh?”

    Though Clarence’s tone may have sounded playful to an unfamiliar ear, you knew too well just how dangerous this was. Yes, he’d been this way with Philip far too often, and the gritty lilt in his voice meant only that he had blood on his mind. As he took a step forward, you did as well, brandishing your scissors in the process. He gasped in ‘fright’, waving his hands in front of his body dismissively.

    “N-no!” he stuttered mockingly, “Don’t do it!” his voice dropped at that and his gaze darkened before he advanced again, “Your silly little Philly Willy ain’t here to save you this time, doll,” he chuckled lowly, “No...It’s just YOU and ME left to tango now, and I’m not too keen on the idea of both of us leaving here alive,” he kicked the door shut and locked it tight before slipping the key card deep in his pocket, “So why don’t you make this easy for the both of us, eh? Drop the scissors, doll, and I might just kill you quicker than I’d planned.”

    “Clarence, open the door,” you ordered shakily, swiping at the air as he approached, “This doesn’t have to happen.”

    “Oh ho ho, but that’s where you’re wrong,” he grinned dangerously your way, “You’re the only other livin’ soul down here besides me now, doll, and I need to make sure that I’m the one responsible for you takin’ your very last breath. Philip’s gone,” your eyes widened at that, “Yup; it’s the truth. He left without you DAYS ago! Did you seriously think he was gonna wait for you to catch up? Hell, he didn’t even know you were still alive!” Clarence laughed as you backed into the desk in the room, “You can’t tell me you were SERIOUSLY banking on him being your escape route outta here?” in one swift movement he lashed out to grab you by your hair and pull you to your feet. He glared down at you with a shake of his head, “And here I thought you were a smart girl.”

    “You’re lying!” you shrieked, struggling to escape his grip, “Philip KNEW I was okay! He wouldn’t...he wouldn’t just leave without me!”

    Clarence rolled his eyes and simply watched you struggle with a dramatic sigh, “See, that’s the problem with all you monkeys. You put too much faith in each other when it counts, but at the end of the day, you’re all the same, selfish bastards at heart,” he threw you to the floor at that and held you down by the neck with his foot, “You’re all driven by an innate desire to survive above all else, and that instinct of self-preservation is why Philly was so smart and ditched you,” he applied more pressure at that, and you choked, desperately trying to continue your struggle from under his hold, tears forming in your eyes as you gasped for air, “And you? You’re gonna need to tap into that if you have any hope of surviving a little one on one with me.”

    Much to your surprise, he set the knife aside, letting it rest on the desk beside the two of you before removing his foot from your neck. You immediately took in air before attempting to scramble away from him once more, this time on hands and knees. You heard him click his tongue at that, and he promptly reached out to grab you by the hair once more. You cried out in pain and dropped to the floor, and the action gave Clarence the chance to crawl over top of you in turn and take a seat on your back.

    “You couldn’t of just made this easy for me, eh?” he pulled out a bit of rope from his bag and grabbed your arms at that, pulling them behind you in order to bind your wrists with another low chuckle, “I guess this works too.”

    “LET GO!” you cried out, doing your best to wriggle out from underneath him. It was of no use, however. In one swift movement Clarence had flipped you over once more and straddled your waist, an action that effectively pinned you to the floor. As he pulled a syringe from his bag, and moved to prick your neck, however, you panicked and desperately fought against him, “DON’T YOU DARE!”

    “Oh, would you just shut the hell UP?” he groaned before stabbing you with the needle.

    You gagged, but as he injected the dark liquid into your veins, you felt your strength rapidly dwindling away. He sighed in relief as you ceased your struggling, and he tossed the syringe aside to find your neck with his hands. They were freezing, and the feeling of them resting on either side of your throat was enough to make you shiver.

    “Do you have ANY idea how long I’ve dreamed of wrapping my hands around that pretty little neck of yours?” he growled, grip slowly tightening as he spoke, “And just how many times I came so fucking tantalizingly close only to be squandered by English Rambo?”

    “You’re lucky he’s not here now,” you forced out, tears silently streaming down your face, “Your blood would be all over the walls.”

    “Huh. I guess that DOES make me pretty lucky,” his breath was hot on your neck, and you could feel him smirk against your skin as he spoke into your ear, “But you, my friend, seem a bit down on yours,” he squeezed your neck, as you looked to him fearfully, “And can you guess what comes next?”

    “Revenge?” you ventured, voice hoarse and restricted.

    “You’re goddamn right," he snarled before grabbing the knife from the table once more, "You and I are gonna have LOTS of fun, monkey. Forget about boring old Philly and consider me your new guardian angel."


	2. Tag, You're It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been caught and pinned. Time to face the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Non-con with Clarence straight ahead! There's also a bit of violence, but nothing out of the normal for a horror game. Enjoy! There is going to be one more part after this featuring our favorite grumpy physicist, so hopefully you're still around after reading this! Enjoy! I'm probably going to hell after writing this.

    Numb. That was the only way to describe the way your body felt as the drugs kicked in. Whatever the hell Clarence had shot into your veins, it seemed to be working, and you were now effectively a sitting duck. Your fate was now entirely in his hands, and you were going to have to play your cards right if you wanted to get out of this encounter alive.

    “I’ve finally got the upper hand now, monkey,” he sneered, taking the knife and grazing it teasingly across your neck, “God, I wish I could get right to it. The thought of cutting your throat and watching the blood flow really gets me going,” You looked to him fearfully as he paused, placing a bit more pressure to your neck with the blade. He chuckled darkly before pulling it away once more to grin maliciously down at you, “But I feel like that would be cheating the both of us out of a much better experience, don’t you think, monkey?”

    “Let me go,” you whispered, a few tears pooling in your eyes as you fruitlessly tried to struggle.

    “Christ, do you say ANYTHING else?” he groaned in irritation, “Seriously, you’re startin’ to sound like a broken record here, doll, and I’m gettin’ real sick of your tune.”

    With your limbs effectively out of commission, the ropes were no longer needed. Clarence promptly cut them away with a grin, whistling eagerly all the while. You searched for any trace of mercy or clemency in his eyes but found them just as dark, soulless, and merciless as before. Once he’d finished with the ropes, you were confused to find him now beginning to wrestle you out of your coat.

    “What...What are you doing?” you asked as he forced your arms out of the sleeves. As your back hit the frigid concrete once more, a violent shudder coursed through your body. The cold really was unforgiving down here, and it seemed that for whatever Clarence had planned, he had no intention of allowing you even the smallest of comforts.

    “You’ll see,” he hummed happily before his hands settled on your waist. His fingers edged just underneath the hem of your shirt, and as he began to inch it upwards with a dark smirk, you felt your stomach drop.

    “Don’t,” you bit, glaring his way despite the clouds in your eyes, “Don’t you _dare_.”

    “Do what?” he voiced innocently before finally exposing your midriff, “This?”

    “ _YES!_ ”

    Clarence’s smirk only widened at that, and he ghosted his fingers along your stomach, “I don’t think you’re in any sort of position to start making commands, monkey. See, if I were you, I’d be more focused on making my old pal Clarence as happy as possible. Maybe then I’ll grant ya a little reprieve in your suffering.”

    “Bite me,” you hissed his way.

    “If that’s what you want.”

    You were more than horrified to find Clarence promptly moving in to deftly nip at your neck, the bite instantly drawing a sharp breath from your lips. You felt him smirk against your skin before he bit you again and again, surely leaving a trail of telltale marks along your neck.

  “See? We can work this out,” Clarence purred in your ear before pulling your shirt over your head at last with a low chuckle, “Of course, I’m still gonna kill you, but I’d rather have a little fun first. I’ve got my cake, but I want to eat it too, so to speak.”

    “Don’t touch me!” you snapped feeling the goosebumps rise all over as your bare back hit the floor, “I’d rather die than let you manhandle me like this!”

    That set him off, and within seconds Clarence had lashed out to slice a sizeable gash along your dominant arm. You were horrified as you watched it bleed, but true terror set in as you realized that you couldn’t feel it at all.

    “See, no matter how much blood you end up losing, at least you won’t pass out from the pain. I can’t have you copping out on me early; you’re the star of the show, after all,” he sneered, running his finger through the blood now staining his blade with a low hum, “Oh, it’s even prettier than I thought it would be. You’ve got me absolutely giddy now, doll...I guess what they say is true. Beauty really does lie within,” as Clarence watched the crimson liquid seep from your arm, you could see his eyes dilate in interest. He was a predator that had just drawn first blood, and you were unfortunately prey trapped in the lion’s den. The man bit his lip in anticipation, but set the blade to the side all the same to reach out and dip his fingers just beneath the band of your pants.

    “You’re heartless,” you spat, growing increasingly panicked between the state of your arm and the bloodlust clear in Clarence’s eyes, “Stop it!”

    “You just don’t get it, do you?” he voiced lowly, not hesitating for a moment more before yanking away your pants, an action that revealed more skin and solicited another shiver, “This isn’t about anything other than the fact that I _loathe_ you and want nothing more than to see you suffer horribly. Call me anything you want and you’re probably in the right,” Once you were left in nothing but the necessities, Clarence’s eyes roved hungrily over your form, “You really are a bombshell, aren’t ya? I almost hate to cut you up. Keyword being almost.”

    As Clarence took a few moments to undress himself, you were left alone with your thoughts for the first time since you’d run into the asshole again. This really was the end, wasn’t it? After coming so far and nearly making it out of here with Philip, you were about to be taken advantage of and killed by the worst of the worst...Could Philip really have left without you? Would he have given up that easily, after all you’d done to aid him,  just to leave you to die? Surely not. You needed to have faith in him, even if you didn’t make it out of this alive.

    You were rudely torn from your thoughts once more as you began to feel a dull tingle throughout your limbs. The feeling in your body was coming back. This could be used to your advantage if you played your cards right. The last thing you wanted were Clarence’s hands all over you, but you also needed him close enough to make your move. So, for the moment, you chose to play it safe and pretend you were still fully immobilized.

    “Here we are,” Clarence purred as he straddled your waist once more, now stripped down to his boxers, “Oh what could happen next, I wonder? You’re a scientist; aren’t you supposed to be all about experimentation?”

    “I don’t think it’s going to matter if I can’t feel jackshit and don’t even want you touching me in the first place!” you snapped bitterly, “Get off!”

    “Oh? You don’t like that?” Clarence hummed before rolling his hips to grind against you. He let out a blissful sigh and it was then that you noticed how hard he was due to the fact that clothes were mostly out of the way and he was pressed against you, “What about this, huh? You like that?” he repeated the action and firmly gripped your hips, clearly ready to get a rise out of you. As he teased you, he suddenly crashed his lips to yours in a rough kiss to claim your mouth as his own with a low chuckle

    As much as you tried, you couldn’t stifle the strangled whimper that managed to escape your lips. The drugs had worn off, and now all your senses seemed to be heightened. The pain in your arm was unreal, and tears were quickly welling up in your eyes once more. Clarence noticed the shift in your demeanor immediately, and though you tried to shove him off of you, he had the upper hand and was able to flip you over with ease.

    “Not able to feel anything, huh?” Clarence jeered before grabbing more rope and setting to tying your hands back once more, “Bullshit. Should’ve kept your trap shut, monkey. You just put the final nail in your own coffin.”

    As much as you fought and struggled to get him off, it was no use. Your dominant arm was effectively out of commission from the pain, and Clarence was easily able to secure your hands and feet again after that. Rather than flip you on your back once more though, you were caught off guard as he yanked you to your knees by your hair instead. You cried out in pain at the sudden shift, but managed to glare up at him through the tears. He could only grin in turn, stroking your hair and reaching down to trace a single finger along your jawline.

    “That’s a good look for you. On your knees and out of my way, just like you should be,” Clarence voiced, looking you over smugly, “You’ve got a pretty face. Now I can see why Philip was hell bent on helping you out; probably hoping for an easy lay before he inevitably dies down here. Too bad he’s gone though; you’re mine now!”

    “I’ll NEVER be yours,” you hissed through the pain.

    “WHY do you have to make every step of this a struggle, monkey?” he rolled his eyes before shimmying out of his boxers at last and shoving himself in your face, “You know the rest, monkey...and if you bite me, you’ll regret it.”

    You simply stared up at him in disbelief for a few moments. Surely he didn’t expect you to comply? The look in his eyes was far from a joking one, however, and as he carelessly twirled the knife above your head, you realized you really did have no choice unless you wanted to die that badly. And you really didn’t. With that thought in mind and bitter tears in your eyes, you took the tip into your mouth, receiving a pleased sigh from above almost instantly. You were more than hesitant to take him further though, but as Clarence tangled his fingers in your hair and forced you to, it wasn’t exactly your choice. As you took him deeper, you couldn’t help but try to block it all out. Your wandering thoughts admittedly weren’t much better though. What if Philip walked in on this? Maybe it was better he didn’t show after all. This was far too shameful.

    As Clarence thrust further into your mouth, you nearly gagged but continued to do your best in fear of enraging him any further. His fingers kept a tight hold on your hair all the while. It was hard to put anything into this at all between the pain and the shame, but apparently you were doing well enough.

    “That’s it,” the man groaned from above as he pushed deeper, “Keep it up.”

    It wasn’t like you had much of an option, what with him refusing to let go. You counted yourself both lucky and unlucky at the same time as he finished. Clarence groaned in pleasure all the while, holding you close as he spilled himself into you.You were thankful when it was over, but were quickly faced with the reality of having his cum in your mouth.

    “Swallow,” was all he grunted amongst labored breaths.

    It didn’t seem that he was about to pull out until you humored his request, and so you did as ordered, wincing at the bitter taste as it went down. Eventually he pulled away at last, and as you coughed and took in air, he chuckled gleefully at the sight.

    “You’re such a mess already,” he taunted before pushing you flat on your back once more, “Too bad I’m not done yet,” as he lashed out with his knife again, you shrieked as he slashed at your ankles, “Just in case you get any smart ideas about tryin’ to run outta here.

    “Please,” you begged pitifully, toes curling in pain, “Please just stop.”

     The pleading seemed to do nothing to deter Clarence though and simply motivated him to keep going. As he crawled atop you once more and placed his hands on your hips, the blood coating them left prints on your sides. The sight only seemed to excite Clarence more, and he ran a hand down your stomach all the way to the band of your underwear, leaving another trail of blood there as well.

    “You’re looking like a regular canvas now, monkey. With the way you’re losing blood though, I don’t think you’ll be conscious for much longer. Well, unless I stuff you up with drugs again, but neither of us want that, do we? That’s not near as much fun,” Without warning, he suddenly slipped a finger inside of you, forcing a strained moan from your lips. He smirked at the sound before adding another and continuing to slip them in and out in a steady rhythm. You tried to squirm away, but he had you sufficiently pinned. The combination of pain and forced pleasure was nearly too much as you tried to steady your panicked breathing, but really there was little you could do.

    Eventually, Clarence pulled his fingers out to look over his work thus far. He seemed satisfied for the moment, but what that meant for you left very little to the imagination. Before you could protest his cock was already inside. You cried out in surprise, back arching as he pushed all the way in and the plethora of sounds the action drew from you was more than enough to get Clarence going. As he began to grind against you, he sank his teeth into your shoulder with a growl.

    “Do you get it now?” he panted angrily, rolling his hips in earnest, “You don’t have a say in what happens down here. Me and my brothers, we OWN this place, and that means I own you,” he laughed darkly as another moan slipped from your lips and sneered your way, “Man, you must be a real slut to get off on this.”

    Any further protests were lost in the flurry of mixed noises that escaped you. Whether they stemmed from pain, pleasure, or a little bit of both, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t think straight long enough to formulate anything coherent. It all came out as mixed jumbles of Clarence’s name and everything in between as he fucked you senseless. The blood loss was starting to get to you as well, and as you came undone with a shameful moan somewhere amidst the assault, the room began to spin and you were slipping fast.

    “Please...don’t do it inside...” was all you managed to drawl out, but even if Clarence had cared to honor your one request or not, it was already too late.

    Clarence came only moments after you spoke, thrusting deep and filling you as he finished with a loud snarl. His fingers dug painfully into your sides, and all you could do was lay back and let it happen, far too delirious to do much else.

    “Oops,” he taunted in between a few ragged breaths.

    “How could you be so cruel?” you managed to whisper before your vision began to fade.

    Clarence pulled out at that and began to gather himself and his clothes as he left you bleeding out on the ground. He didn’t dignify your question with an answer though and simply spoke for himself once more, “Stay put for now, monkey. Maybe if you’re not dead by the time I get back I’ll have a better use for that stupid mouth of yours. Who knows? I’ll bet my brothers could have a lot of fun with you too...”

    Clarence’s voice was all that registered before everything went black.


	3. Blind Man's Bluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philip is faced with his greatest failure of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm sorry that this is super late, but I wasn't happy with how the first few drafts went at all, and I lost motivation along the way. It's finally here though, so I hope you like it! If you really want a fourth part, however, leave a comment and I would be glad to provide that. I just want to make sure there's actually a crowd for it lol. Please enjoy!

     Philip had tried so hard, but, as per the usual for him, it hadn’t been enough. Being separated from you was something he’d been afraid of from the start, and though a part of it DID stem from a sense of self-preservation, he was more worried for you than anything else. The two of you had been unstoppable since he'd stumbled upon you in the labs, and now that you were finally making progress at getting out of this hell hole, life just had to get in the way.

     The moment the floor had cracked beneath you, Philip had felt his heart sink. He’d whipped around with a startled shout, your name on his tongue and a hand outstretched. Unfortunately, he’d been just a hair too late and had been helpless to do much else but grasp at the air as you fell screaming back into the depths below. The cave in that followed hadn’t done much for his morale either, and the physicist was left speechless as the dust settled and you were lost beneath the rubble.

     There had been no way for him to know whether you were dead or alive after that. He’d called your name fruitlessly over and over again with no response, and as the realization set in that you really may be gone, he’d felt his blood run ever the colder. It was all he could do to hold himself together as he stood there, trying his best to process what the hell had just transpired before him and where he was supposed to go from here.

     The smart thing to do, in as perilous of a situation as he was in, would have been to simply keep moving on under the assumption that you were certainly dead. Philip, however, was a very stubborn man, and he knew all too well that should he manage to escape at all, the possibility of leaving you buried alive would weigh heavy on his conscience for the rest of his days. It was with that in mind that Philip turned on a dime and began his descent once more, cursing silently as all of the progress you two had made was effectively squandered.

     It wasn’t hard for him to tell that the hole you’d fallen down stretched for several floors. How many it was in total, he wasn’t entirely sure, but the stubborn determination that had overtaken him wasn’t about to let him rest. The farther down he went, however, the more panicked he became. Clarence was surely still lurking around down here, after all. The two of you had managed to outspeed him on more than one occasion, sure, but the man was out for blood, and Philip shuddered to think what would happen if you were to run into him on your own. He could only hope at this point that you hadn’t given up on him and were still alive and hidden away somewhere safe.

     After several hours of backtracking, Philip was able to find the bottom of the pit you’d tumbled down, the pile of rubble now settled precariously at the bottom. He cringed at the sight before promptly deciding that searching the rest of the area before declaring you toast would be the best course of action. The red floodlights leading further into the labyrinth ahead did nothing for his nerves, but for your sake and his own sanity, he was soon steeling himself and pressing onward once more.

     The next leg of the area Philip entered harbored far too many twists and turns than he would have liked. The corridors were narrow, the lights were still an eerie shade of red, and the deafening silence was more foreboding than reassuring. Still, the physicist kept a sharp eye out all the while, and as he stumbled across your dimming glow stick on the ground, he felt his blood run cold all over again. He snatched it up within moments before tearing off further down the passage, an overwhelming sense of dread creeping up on him once more.

     Eventually, Philip reached the very end of the labyrinth, one final door barring him from entering the final room. What awaited him on the other side couldn’t be anything good, and the blonde hesitated for a few moments before being able to work up the gumption to actually enter the room. Only after taking in a deep breath was he able to slide the door open, though no amount of preparation could have readied the man for the sight that awaited him within.

     It felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room as Philip’s gaze landed on you at last. He had anticipated finding you injured for certain, and possibly even dead, but the sight of you battered, bloodied, and nearly naked on the floor hadn’t been anything close to what he’d been expecting. After shutting and locking the door behind him for good measure, Philip tore over to your side, falling to his knees as he looked you over in disbelief.

     The sound of Philip frantically calling your name and trying to shake you awake barely registered. You’d lost far too much blood and were far too worn out from your encounter with Clarence to come around easily. Whatever drugs he’d pumped into your system weren’t helping either, and it took a solid few minutes for Philip to prompt any sort of reaction from you. Eventually your eyes cracked open groggily at last, and you found yourself wrapped up in Philip’s coat, your head resting in the man’s lap as he tried to get you to come around.

     “Ph...Philip?” you whimpered lightly, shivering violently.

     “Oh, thank God,” he breathed, his whole form relaxing at the sound of your voice. It wasn’t by much, but you could tell that he’d been this way since your disappearance, “You’re alive...You’re really alive.”

     “Don’t waste your time on me, Philip,” you returned weakly, watching as he dug around in his pack for the makeshift first aid kit the two of you had managed to scrape up by combining your supplies, “Please, Philip...I’m too banged up. That gash on my arm is still bleeding, my ankles are sliced, I can’t walk...I’m just a burden to you at this point.”

     “Like hell you are,” Philip returned with a scowl, cringing at the sight of the gash on your arm, “I need you to stay with me, okay? You don’t need to tell me what happened right away...but please trust me to take care of you in the meantime. You’re safe now; I promise.”

     You fell silent at that, far too weak to muster up the strength to argue with him. Philip was a man on a mission, and he was not to be stopped. You were the last thing down here that he truly gave a shit about, and even if he died on the way back up, at the very least he wanted you to outlive him.

     Everything was silent for a while as Philip tended to your wounds. The pain was agonizing and made you see stars, and you had to wonder by the sheer amount of your own blood you’d been lying in how you hadn’t ended up dead. You supposed you could chalk it up to the Tuurngait virus, but nothing down here really made sense in the first place.

     After Philip had tended to the wounds on your abdomen and arm, you offered him a quick nod of consent to help dress you and save you a bit of dignity before he continued. Once you were bundled back up in your coat and redressed he helped you down some painkillers, the drugs kicking in as Philip propped you up against the wall and examined your ankles.

     “...You weren’t kidding when you said it was bad,” Philip finally spoke up, cleaning the cuts with a bit of alcohol he had in his bag, “How long have you been laid up in here?”

     “I don’t know,” you returned, whimpering quietly as the alcohol hit your wounds, “After I fell through the floor I wound up down here...I was running from Clarence for what felt like hours...” you found it hard to continue speaking as tears welled up in your eyes, “I tried to escape, but he caught me in here.”

     Philip paled even further at your words, and as he finished wrapping your ankles, he finally looked up to meet your gaze once more. He found no light in your eyes, and as a few tears finally rolled down your cheeks, he had a sinking feeling that his prior fears hadn’t been so unfounded after all. The physicist felt his mouth go dry as he tried to speak again, though he was afraid of the words on the tip of his tongue. He reached out to take a gentle hold of your hands, clearly apprehensive of whatever he was about to ask.

     “I hate to even have to ask this but...did he touch you? Is that what happened?” he asked gingerly, voice little more than a whisper

     Your lip quivered, and you averted your gaze in shame, unable to look Philip in the eye. How could you possibly put the last several hours into words? The terror, embarrassment, and mental and physical trauma was far too much to bear, and rather than giving Philip a straight answer, all you could do was break down into tears at last. A few weak sobs were all you could manage without hurting yourself, hiding your face in your hands as you finally began to weep.

     Philip felt his heart break at your reaction, and he found himself at a loss for words once again. This...This couldn’t be happening, right? Clarence was awful, that Philip could say without a doubt, but something like this was on an entirely different level. Still, the state he’d found you in and your current sorrow had been all he needed to see to know that it was true, and his gaze was fixed to the floor as he processed the information that had just been delivered to him. Eventually he scooted over to sit next to you, gingerly reaching out to pull you in for a comforting embrace.

     “I should have been there. I should have been able to stop it,” Philip whispered, gritting his teeth in guilt and frustration, “If I had been even just a little faster getting here...God, I couldn’t even get you out of here without something like this happening. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry this happened,” he felt himself tear up as you immediately collapsed into the embrace, weeping into his shoulder all the while, “Just cry if you need to, alright? This wasn’t your fault. There’s nothing you could have done.”

     You held tightly onto Philip as you cried, simply taking the time to let everything out that you hadn’t been able to before. Curling up and dying right now sounded like as good of an idea as ever; at least it would absolve the shame you were unable to shake. Still, you couldn’t help but feel safer in Philip’s arms, regretting any prior doubt you had in his devotion to getting you safely out of this hellhole. It did little to ease the pain you felt, but at least you weren’t alone anymore.

     Eventually, you managed to speak up again.

     “I just want to get out of here,” you whispered, tears staining Philip’s coat all the while.

     “I know...I want you to _be_ out of here,” Philip returned with a shake of his head, leaning back against the wall as he pulled you fully into his lap, “You should have never had to suffer like this, and even if I die on the way out of here, I swear that I’ll get you out no matter what I have to do.”

     You choked back a few more sobs, but nodded sadly in agreement all the same, curling up against Philip immediately, “Clarence said he’d be back, Philip...We can’t stay here.”

     “Don’t worry about Clarence. Just close your eyes, alright? Try to relax. I’ll keep us safe...I promise,” Philip murmured as he comfortingly stroked your hair, “You need to rest at least until the painkillers kick in.”

     “Thank you, Philip,” you muttered quietly in turn, leaning against him once more. If nothing else, you were safe for the moment, and though the sentiment seemed small in the midst of everything else, at least you could have faith that Philip only had your best interests at heart.

     As you finally settled in, Philip couldn’t help but need to watch your features relax little by little. It wasn’t until he was sure that you were fully asleep that he allowed his head to hit the wall behind him, the tears that had been steadily pooling in his eyes falling free at last. The fact that you’d been hurt in such a way on his watch pained him deeply, and he couldn’t even imagine what you were going though. Among his long list of failures, he regarded this as the worst of all. For now though, all he could do was hold you close and try to offer some semblance of comfort. Clarence, however...Clarence was going to pay for this one way or another.

     And Philip swore at that exact moment that it would be by his own hands.


End file.
